Page 75 of Matthew
Carter tapped his pen against the desk, then aimed it at Matthew. “You planning to keep playing night watchman?”
Matthew shrugged. “Been working so far.”
The guy smirked. “If Callie finds out you’ve been camping twenty yards from her back door without saying a word, she’s either gonna drag you into her house or banish you to the compost pile.”
He cracked a smile despite himself. “Worth the risk.”
***
By the time Matthew turned down the gravel drive again, the sun was past its peak, and the nursery had settled into a quieter rhythm. The parking area had a few cars and a customer loading soil into the back of a minivan. Normal. Peaceful.
For Callie’s sake, he hoped it lasted.
He parked further from the main greenhouse than usual, partly to keep a lower profile, partly because he needed the walk to settle his thoughts.
Inside the nursery, Rosie was helping a couple pick out hanging baskets, her voice bright and friendly. Nate spotted him near the counter and gave a subtle nod before returning to sorting a pallet of bags near the side entrance. Everyone seemed calm, focused, but Matthew felt the hum of tension under it all. As if a taut wire were waiting to snap.
He didn't immediately look for Callie. Instead, he checked the perimeter, noting anything new—an unfamiliar car, a delivery van idling too long, anything out of place.
Nothing yet.
Still, his instincts told him it wouldn’t be long.
When he finally stepped into the main greenhouse, Sammy perked up from his usual shaded spot and padded over, his tail swishing low with quiet excitement. Matthew crouched to scratch behind the dog’s ears.
“Hey, buddy.” He lowered his voice. “Keeping watch for me?”
Sammy let out a soft huff, clearly unimpressed.
“Same.”
He straightened, then heard Callie’s voice. Not strained. Not tense. But a little clipped, as if she was multitasking while managing stress. She appeared a moment later, clipboard in hand, pen tucked behind one ear, a smudge of dirt across one cheek, reminding him of war paint.
She stole his breath.
“You’re back,” she said, surprise and relief slipping into her voice.
Inhaling, he nodded. “Did I miss anything?”
Callie shook her head, giving him a long, assessing look. “How about you? Find anything new?”
“Some.” He nodded toward the far end of the greenhouse. “You got a minute?”
Her eyes flicked to the register, then to Nate, who caught her glance and offered a low wave that saidI’ve got it. She gave a grateful nod, then turned back to Matthew.
“Yeah,” she said. “Let’s talk.”
As they walked the length of the greenhouse together, she glanced at him sideways. “You look a little more rested than you did yesterday.”
“Thanks, I think,” he said dryly. “Carter called me a…watchman. So, yeah. Pretty standard.”
He didn’t mention thenightpart, but the laugh she gave him anyway loosened something in his chest.
They stepped out the rear exit and onto the path that led toward the back. He didn’t know what was coming next, but if it involved the mess they were still unraveling, they’d need more than fresh air and sarcasm to get through it.
The lean-to stood quiet and sun-warmed, tucked away behind the greenhouse like a secret only they shared. The moment they stepped inside, the noise of the nursery dimmed,replaced by the soft creak of old wood and the rustle of leaves overhead. It wasn’t fancy, but it was theirs. It was paradise.
Matthew leaned a shoulder against the post, watching Callie move to the bench and sit. The filtered sunlight caught strands of her hair and painted her skin with a warm glow that made his chest tighten.
